The Virgin of Guadalupe

EL PASO, Texas — Ever since 1531 when the image of the Virgin Mary appeared miraculously on the cloth worn by Juan Diego, a humble peasant in Tepeyac, Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe has been a sacred symbol of Mexican faith. Today the image of the Virgin can be found almost everywhere on the Borderland, from churches to sidewalks, from candles to tattoos. The photography class at the University of Texas at El Paso was given the assignment to photograph the Virgin wherever she appeared. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Reflection of the Virgin. The mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe is located next to a gas station in the Lower Valley of El Paso. (Cynthia Carol Almodovar/Borderzine.com)

Virgin in Old Mesilla. This Virgen can be seen in one of Old Mesilla’s many restaurants. (David A. Gomez/Borderzine.com)

Our Lady in this tradion: When I was active in the Respect Life Committee, we opened our meeting with a prayer to her for the Unborn, especially those in unwant or persecution, or danger. Mother of our dear Lord, please intercede to Him for all your children, especially those who are so far away from Him or do not know Him. Thank You.

The large statue I saw of Mary in the NW, was in Pine Bluff, Wy. It also can be seen from the highway I-80. American Profile.Com has a nice writeup about that one. Our Lady is out there in many forms and always leads us back to her Son. What a blessing we have. Praise God!

Can anyone explain to me the meaning of the horns etc. pictured on the bottom of some of those statues. We have one in our church. I have often heard the saga of the happenings of that era but don’t know the meaning as mentioned of the depictions on the bottom. Thanks, Rita

They are not horns Rita. she is standing on the crescent moon. When I was in the monastery our father abbot had been formerly abbot of a monastery in Mexico. So he had a great devotion to la Virgencita. He placed all of us young monks under her mantle and said she would always be there to take us to her Son. those who accuse of idolatry to her totally misunderstand who she is. She is our loving mother who wants us to know and love her Son and our Savior. When I ahve hd the joy of sharing her feast with my Mexican bothers and sisters I have experienced the most totally fulfilling faith experience of my life. I love her and spend time with her & Jesus everyday of my life and know that I am loved. God bless.

what a brilliant idea for a project! The photos are wonderful and inspiring; the involvement of the individual photographers and the viewers of their works weave a spiritual web that catches our attention in very important ways.

There are other versions as to the existence of La Virgen Morena and how she came to be. Legend has it that when the Spaniards invaded Mexico, they destroyed every element that constituted the Indigenas’ religion. One temple to which they all congregated was on Tepeyac Hill, where they venerted Tonantzin – Mother Earth. After the Spaniards destroyed that temple, the natives continued to worship at the site.

To that point, the conquerors were having problems converting the Indians. Many of them preferred death to accepting the new religion. Millions were burned at the stake or suffered other forms of death because they refused to convert. Those who converted were renamed Juan or Juana, or Mario or Maria. After the Temple of Tonantzin was destroyed, the natives continued to go to her site to worship her.

Legend has it that the Spaniards, never ones to miss a trick, concocted the image of La Virgen Morena on Juan Diego’s mantle. The Natives, seeing that one of their own had become a vision to worship, began to convert in large numbers. This new diety was neither blonde, nor blue-eyed, which made it easier to accept her. She was La Virgen Morena/Tonantzin. Thus, her appearance saved millions of lives, because, now, the natives could convert to Catholicism while worshiping one of their own. That’s why La Virgen Morena is the Patron Saint of Mexico. Albeit, Jesus Christ is also venerated, La Virgen Moreno occupies a bigger space in the hearts of Latinos throughout the Americas. La Virgen Morena is beautiful and sacred in the hearts of many. But, to others, she continues to be Tonantzin.

About the author:

David Smith-Soto
Costa Rican-born David Smith-Soto has more than 30 years of experience in bilingual print journalism, newspaper management and international public relations. He recently retired as a senior lecturer in the journalism program at UTEP, where he taught digital photography and bilingual writing. A bilingual writer, editor, journalist and photographer, Smith-Soto has served as Managing Editor of The Winchester Evening Star, Editor of El Nuevo Dia of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Latin America Staff Writer at The Miami Herald and Managing Editor of El Miami Herald. He joined the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. in 1985, serving as Chief of Publications and Associate Deputy for Public Relations, retiring in 2000. Smith-Soto earned a BA in English from the University of Maryland and an MFA in bilingual creative writing at UTEP.